Construction toy



y 6, 1958 L. E. CARSON 2,333,082

I CONSTRUCTION TOY Filed Aug. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l LAWRENCE E.CARSON,

INVENTOR.

wM mum May 6, 1958 L. a cARsoN CONSTRUCTION TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug. 5, 1954 LAME/v05 E. CARSON,

INVENTOR.

AGENZ' Un -rd. St3t Patent CONSTRUCTION TOY Lawrence E..Carson,AlhambrafCalif assignor to The Rig-A-Jig Toy Co., Inc., Chicago", Ill.,a corporation of Illinois Application August 5, 1954, Serial No. 447,979

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-23) to construct a variety 'of models which simulatevarious full 'size structures or devices. The subject matter of thepresent application adds novel features which adapt the structure ofsaid models to roll on various surfaces, and to transmit rotary andlinear motion by pulleys,- crank elements, and the like. I

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and simple means foradapting assemblable construction toys to mobile operation and also torender them capable of transmitting mechanical movements by pulleys andbelts. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel tirestructure for disc shaped members which may have a"variety of uses inconstructing various models comprising rotating elements.

,Still another object of the invention is to provide "a novel means forconnecting rotating elements to shafts or axles.

A further object of the invention is to provide avariety of resilientmembers which are capable of fr'ictionally connecting various parts ofassemblable construction toys together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means forcombiningpulleys, fans, crank elements, shafts and wheels to be used in simpleassemblable construction toys.

his a particular object to provide an assemblable toy constructionembodying a minimum number of various members adaptable to a largevariety of assemblage structures, both mobile or static with parts orassemblies arranged for a variety of mechanical movements.

it is a further object to provide such a toy with parts and pieceseasily manipulated and assembled together by the fingers of children ofall ages.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification, appended claims, and drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a toy model, partly sectional intwo places, showing rotary elements in connection therewith and inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is an axial sectional view of rotating elements in accordancewith the present invention assembled to provide a crank element;

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Fig. 6'is an axial sectional view of a rotating element of thepresentinvention showing a novel type of blade supported thereby; and I Fig. 7is an elevational view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings a toy model 10 is provided withwheels 11 and 12 arranged for mobility on a surface A. The wheels 11 and12, together with their axle and journal members, support the framestructures 13 and 14 which, in turn, are arranged to support the shaftstructure 15 carrying the shaft 16 on which a pulley 17 is mounted.Engaging the pulley 17 is a belt 18 which engages the wheel 12 wherebythe model 10, when rolled along the surface. A, causes rotary motion tobe transmitted from the wheel 12 to the belt 18 which in turn rotatesthe pulley 17 and the shaft 16.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the wheel 12 of the toy shown invFig. 1 comprises a circular disc piece 21 fixed to a shaft 22 by meansof a resilient sleeve 23 which frictionally engages the shaft 22 and acentral opening in the disc 21. compli'shed by first inserting thesleeve 23 into the central opening and then inserting the shaft withinthe sleeve, whereby the shaft tends to expand the sleeve somewhatradially so as to cause it to engage the central opening in a snugfashion. The shaft 22 is rotatably mounted in flexible tubular elements24 which are frictionally engaged in central holes 25 in the triangularpieces 26. The pieces 26 may be any one of several structural piecesdisclosed in the patent hereinbefore referred to.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and also in Fig. 4, short tubular members 27interconnect the structural members of the toy by engaging slotstherein, all as completely disclosed and described in my former patentabove referred to.

. The circular piece 21 hereinbefore referred to is engaged at itsperiphery by an internal annular groove portion 29 in a resilient tire30 which is arranged to provide a wheel element for toy models inaccordance with the present invention. The tire 30 is also provided witha peripheral groove 31 which is adapted to engage a belt 18 as shown inFig. 1 of the drawing. On opposite sides of the groove 29 the tire isprovided with lip portions 32 and 33. These lip portions engage thesides of the disc structure 21 and the portion 32 may be stretched ordeflected when being installed on, or removed from, the periphery of thedisc. For convenience in such operations the lip 32 is relatively shortcompared to the lip 33 which extends inwardly toward the axis of thedisc 21 a greater distance than does the lip 32. Thus the lip 32 may bestretched over the periphery of the disc 21 with ease when beinginstalled or removed therefrom.

In the side of the tire 30 and extending into the lip 33 are radiallydisposed slots 34 which are adapted to engage any of the structuralpieces. With reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings the slots 34 areshown as frictionally engaging diamond shaped pieces 45 which may beused to simulate fan blades or other structures as desired. Positionedintermediate the radially disposed slots 34 are circular recesses 35which are arranged to frictionally engage the tubular connectiveelements described in my prior patent, and shown here in Fig. 5 as acrank pin. Such a crank pin structure will be hereinafter described indetail.

Referring again to Fig. 2 of the drawing it will be seen that theresilient sleeve 23 extends beyond the piece 21 and supports a smalldiameter pulley 36 which is provided with a belt-engaging groove 37 inthe periphery thereof. The pulley 36 when used on a model such as thatshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings may be employed to change the operatingratio between the Wheel 12 and rotating assembly 20. However, it will beunderstood Preferably, the assembly is ac- Positioned on the oppositeend of the shaft, 16froml the pulley 17 is a resilient hub or cap 28which may serve as an endplay member. The rotating assembly 20 isprovided with a circular piece 21 having tubular ele-' ments 27supporting simulated fan blades 39 thereon. The piece 21 of Fig. 4 isprovided with a central opening 40 frictionally engaged with a resilientsleeve 41 which also frictionally engages the shaft 16. Thus the pulley17 is frictionally engaged with the shaft 16 by means of a sleeve 23 anddrives the fan 20 by reason of its frictional engagement with the sleeve41 which is similarly engaged with the shaft 16. i

As shown in 5 of the drawing a pair of discs 21 are fixed to shafts 42and 43 by means of resilient sleeves 23 while the shafts 42 and 43 aresupported in tubular elements 24 frictionally engaged in bearing pieces26. Tires on the discs 21 are arranged to face each other at theircircular recess portions and a cylindrical crank pin 44 comprised of oneof the aforementioned tubular elements interengages facing recesses 35of the tires 30 providing a crank pin radially spaced from the axes ofthe shafts 42 and 43. Thus a model constructed in accordance with thepresent improvements may include a crank shaft structure.

It will be understood that various elements as disclosed in the formerpatent may be used as bearing supports for the shafts or axle structuresof the models. For example, it may be found desirable to employ otherthan a triangular or a circular member for use as a support piece 26illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings. All of thesestructures, having central openings therein, are adapted to receive andfrictionallyengage tubular elements 24 in which various shaft membersmay be rotatably mounted. The present improvements render theconstruction of toy models made in accordance therewith mobile andcapable of transmitting rotary or linear motion, and provide for theconstruction of many variations of machinery models additional to thosewhich may'have been constructed in accordance with the teach ings of theformer patent hereinbefore referred to.

Having thus described the invention and the present embodiments thereof,it is desired to emphasize the fact that further modifications may beresorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In a construction toy a circular disk-shaped piece having a circularaxial bore therethrough for detachable receiving a cylindricalcooperating element, a resilient tire having an internal annular grooveengaging and surrounding the edge of said piece, said tire havinginwardly directed annular lips on oppositesides of said groove, one ofsaid lips being longer and extending a greater distance from the bottomof said groove than the other of said. lips, the longer lip having anaxially directed circular recess therein of the same size, as the axialbore arranged to frictionally support a said cylindrical cooperatingelementtherein.

2. A construction toy device comprising a relatively thin, flat,disk-like member, including a portion defining a central boretherethrough adapted to receive a rodlike element; and a tire ofsubstantially greater thickness than said member and having an internalannular groove engaging and fully surrounding the peripheral edge ofsaid thin member, said tire having radially directed annular resilientlips forming the opposite sides of said groove; one of said lips havingat least one axially directed recess therein also adapted to receive arod-like element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS731,309 Kilbourn -1 Iune l6, 1903 2,035,081 Lower Mar. 24, 19362,170,771 Benjamin Aug. 22, 1939 2,208,049 Pajeau July 16,. 19402,327,306 Holden Aug. 17, 1943 2,414,716 Carson Jan. 21, 1947 2,577,702DeSWart Dec. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. ,3, 1938

